The Truth About Fake Watches And How To Spot A Rolex Clone
8 min read
Luxury watches are more popular than ever. That’s a good thing. Isn’t it?
For most part it is. The growing appreciation for luxury watches is a major catalyst for the industry’s sustenance and for someone deeply invested in watches and watchmaking, it’s good to be part of an expanding tribe.
But with luxury watches being so much in the public eye, there has been a serious escalation in demand and prices as a consequence. Right now, there exists a much greater imbalance in demand and supply than ever before. This exactly is what a very mischievous entity has tried to capitalize on. And that is fake watches.
Now, when it comes to fakes, clones, or replicas, there are only a few brands of which the said yield is mass-produced and at a level that calls for greater scrutiny. Rolex, unfortunately, is a leader here as well.
A victim of its own popularity
Rolex alone is the most counterfeited and replicated luxury watch brand in the world. Rolex fakes make up approximately 50% of all fake watches on the secondary market. Being the most aspirational luxury watch brand, Rolex counterfeits have become very common.
Now, with counterfeits, there are levels to their imitation and there exist replicas so bad you can tell them apart from a distance. That’s not the worrying lot. The thing is, with increasing sophistication of machinery and technology evolution, counterfeiters can manufacture replicas that are as close as possible to the originals. It now requires a very meticulously trained eye to distinguish the fake from the real.
According to Watchfinder & Co. CEO Arjen van de Vall as expressed in an interview with Bloomberg, earlier they were able to identify almost 80% of fake watches by sight alone. Now, that percentage has worryingly dropped to just 20. That’s how good clones have become.
The bad fakes and the good fakes
That’s just in regards to how close to the real thing they get. A bad fake Rolex is actually very easy to identify. If the text says something like “RQLEX,” that’s a bad one. If the seconds hand ticks instead of sweeps, that’s again a bad one. If the printing is so coarse and misaligned that it just hurts to look at, it’s a bad fake. And if the Rolex coronet is a four- or six-pointed crown, but not five-pointed, that’s really bad and an easy tell.
The above lot is the worst in replicas and many grades below what’s the actual worrisome entity, i.e. a 1:1 super clone. The progression is usually a toy-fake (the one described above) - A Grade - AA Grade - AAA Grade - to the super clones commonly referred to as VSF, ARF, BTF or UFO, depending on the factory they originate from in China.
It’s a super clone that can very easily deceptively pose as the real thing.
And here’s why.
The best Rolex not made by Rolex
Today, the replica Rolex industry is in its “super clone” age. This exacting level of counterfeiting isn’t applicable to all watch brands, and owing to demand, usually impacts only popular Rolex models. The Cosmograph Daytona, Submariner, Day-Date and GMT-Master II being its common victims.
This act of horological mockery has reached such an impossible level that in an act of unusual expose by Wired, an imposter $500 Oyster Perpetual clone watch managed to get first-class treatment at Rolex’s flagship London store on Old Bond Street. It was submitted to the Rolex staff for bracelet adjustment and was returned surprisingly with a positive complement.
Whilst the task of bracelet adjustment is restricted to just removing a few links and doesn’t necessarily warrant closer inspection of the watch, still, for people who handle Rolex watches everyday more than anyone else, it’s astonishing to realize that even they at least for once failed to identify a fake.
And that is because the usual telltales of a fake Rolex have blurred to an unbelievable level. Looking at the watch’s 904L stainless steel case, dial, and even the movement, without significant magnification, won’t necessarily reveal any identifier of a replica. It’s most likely to pass as the real deal. Especially in the case of Rolex, where case and movement decoration, despite being very good, are industrial in execution and the caliber finishing is machine achieved, the fakes don’t even have to try that hard to look good. It’s not that there is any Dufour-level anglage to replicate.
Still, the replica caliber will have surfaces and edges that are very coarse and evidently not good quality.
In the more recent yield of the mischief departments, another very prominent marker that the clone factories simply couldn’t produce before is now being manufactured exactly like the real thing. That is a freesprung balance arrangement.
In all instances where a passing visual inspection couldn’t reveal much and a quick look at the caliber, specifically its escapement, was necessitated, the curb-regulated balance setup on clones was the final say. But, not so much now.
In modern Rolex replicas featuring a clone movement allegedly developed by the Dandong Watch Factory, a.k.a Peacock Watch Company, the entire caliber is an exact 1:1 recreation of the real movement. So much so in fact that even part swaps between the real movement and its not-so superficial approximation are possible without functional flaws. The Chinese counterfeiters can reverse engineer an entire Rolex caliber via 3D optical scanning and include freesprung balance wheels with micro weight adjustment screws just like the ones on real Rolex calibers. It’s also possible because the makers of Rolex replicas are also faking the tools and machinery used by the OEM factories.
This eliminates one of the easiest visual tells for watchmakers to identify a fake. The watches are 1:1 clones inside-out.
In regards to the precision and depth of the print on the dial, the exact nature of the colors, the ergonomic feel and the tactility of components, the level of machine-achieved polishing and movement finishing, all can be replicated by the super clones at a level that can sometimes be even as close as 90% to a real Rolex.
These are very subtle nuances to call out without rigorous scrutiny and a meticulously trained eye.
To add to the chaos, the clones match the genuine movements in frequency and power reserve. So, there’s greater visual as well as a bettering qualitative similarity, although the latter still fails badly. While built decently, neither can a super clone match the performance and quality consistency of a real Rolex, nor can it be as accurate as it. It’ll never qualify on merit of chronometric performance but that usually forms part of an advanced grade of authentication. Every genuine Rolex achieves a Superlative Chronometer in-house certification guaranteeing an accuracy rate of −2/+2 seconds per day after casing. This is one rare instance where there’s absolutely no hiding.
Still, you can never be too careful.
Avoiding the craftiest counterfeits
So, is all hope lost for someone trying to buy a luxury watch without getting stung. Well, definitely not. Because in truth, a fake will always be a fake and will give away its mischief in one way or the other. Here’s how you can avoid buying a fake Rolex.
One thing to take as a getaway from everything said till now is that you can’t totally rely upon yourself to determine whether a watch is fake or genuine. In regards to identifying the very fine details that distinguish the two, you need a genuine watch to compare the questionable piece against. Without the real Rolex in one hand, it’s very difficult to gauge the one in the other. Only when you have a real example present, can you truly identify the telltales of a clone.
So, the best thing you can do to avoid being scammed by a fake or counterfeit Rolex is to only stick with reputable sellers. It is the most reliable way to avoid buying a fake Rolex. Before screening the watch, vet the seller. That’s the least you should do when spending a significant sum. Try to purchase only from an authorized Rolex retailer or a trusted platform with positive customer reviews and verified listings. Any retailer that is authorized to sell Rolex Certified Pre-Owned is a safe bet. When buying pre-owned, always look for transparency around servicing, authenticity guarantees, as well as return policies.
Now, back to the matter of the watch itself, here’s a checklist of things to look for when comparing a Rolex model against what you’re sure is a genuine one.
Crystal height: An authentic Rolex has its crystal set nearly flush with the bezel while a replica will have a crystal that sits unusually high. Minimal, but noticeably higher.
Laser engraved crown: Check the quality of the micro-etched crown at 6 o’clock on the crystal (on all models available since 2002).
Bezel sound: Although close to 90% similar, the clicking sound of the bezel on a replica Rolex will have a different frequency.
Typeface / font of the date numerals: The fake Rolex might have a subtle difference in typeface on its date numerals.
Bracelet clasp: Finishing of spot weld quality on the clasp hook. On an authentic Rolex, where the hook is attached to the clasp via a soldering process, it will have a flawless finish (a perfect series of points/spots) without any discoloring.
Case finish / polish: The level of surface finishing on the case and the bracelet will reveal subtle differences, although it could be replicated with a higher than 90% match.
Rehaut: Quality of engraved rehaut letters and their lining up against the minute markers. Serial and model numbers engraved between the lugs or on the rehaut.
Movement finishing: Overall movement finishing will be significantly coarser on the counterfeit Rolex while the genuine Rolex caliber has a very consistent finish with crip edges.
Balance and hairspring: An authentic Rolex caliber has a vivid blue Parachrom hairspring with Breguet overcoil and a freesprung arrangement. A high-quality replica might have a freesprung balance but the hairspring will be blue colored steel resulting in a dull hue.
Cyclops lens: An authentic Rolex offers proper magnification, about 2.5x, by the cyclops magnifier.
Listing: An unexpected list price for the watch or an unusually low-priced listing can indicate a counterfeit.
Now, knowing how close a fake can get to a real Rolex, it’s understood that it requires more than just a keen eye to distinguish the two. So, next time you purchase a pre-owned Rolex, make sure it comes with the highest level of authenticity and scores nothing less than a 100% on the checklist.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is strictly for educational and informational purposes. We strongly condemn the trade and proliferation of counterfeit timepieces. If you encounter any counterfeit products or suspicious activities, please report them here.
